...Stephanie Thevarajah Thevarajah 1 Tarah Csaszar CLAS 1P91 1 December 2014 The restitution of the Parthenon marbles to the Greeks from the British has been an ongoing struggle since the beginning of the 20th century. The concept of culture encompasses all aspects of a community’s identity including the highlighted actions by the population and evidence of their civilization, including their art. For the Greeks, their art was praised and an important representation of their unique skills. The Parthenon marbles were a part of the Hellenistic culture that had lost its social context the moment these sculptures were placed elsewhere from its original source. The process of building the marble sculptures involved the most skilled architects...
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...The Elgin Marbles / Parthenon Sculptures I read two articles on the internet that provided some very interesting points in regards to the “Elgin Marble” which are better known as the “Parthenon Marbles.” Between 1801 – 1805, Thomas Bruce, Seventh Lord Elgin, procured the marble art and took them to Britain. Lord Elgin’s original intentions were to obtain some sketches and plaster casts made of the great sculptures and reliefs on the Parthenon and other nearby ruins. At the time Greece was under Ottoman rule. When Lord Elgin obtained his permit for his request, he was given access to take whatever he desired. It was further ordered that Lord Elgin and his agents were not to be hindered from taking away any pieces of stone with inscriptions and figures. This is equivalent to today’s political give and take. For many years, the Ottomans were thankful to Britain for assisting with the Napoleon. Eventually, Greece won their independence from Ottoman rule in 1829 and called for the immediate return of the sculptures. Now, back to Lord Elgin: with his all-inclusive permit in hand; he and his little party began to take some of the most renowned symbols of the golden age of classical Greeks. Lord Elgin had allowed greed to manipulate his original mission. He took advantage of the situation to such a degree; many British people thought Elgin had committed acts of cultural vandalism. In 1816, he was forced to sell the sculptures to the British Government to alleviate...
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...THE BRITISH MUSEUM TO RETURN PARTHENON MARBLES TO GREECE The Acropolis museum gives way for the Parthenon sculptures that are in Athens to be appreciated against ancient Greece’s backdrop. Museums are a valuable resource that provides an opportunity for the world to reexamine the past and the cultural activities associated with the history. The Parthenon sculptures are essential elements in the interconnectedness of the world and the political boundaries. The discussion has an argument on whether the British Museum should return the Parthenon (aka Elgin) Marbles to Greece. The Greek archaeology society was founded in 1830, and there in their first meeting, the president ordered the return of marbles. The people of Greece regard these artifacts as the symbols of their culture and their heritage. Historians also argue that the sculptures are an integral part of the temple structures that are still standing in Athens. The placement of the statues in London is unappealing to the Greeks since it is considered to be the biggest museum to tell us about the development in the ancient Greece. They are being used as significant features of the British identity yet they should be unified and viewed in a larger framework to present the Greek art in a chronological narrative (Fineberg, Amos & Lang, 1985). The British Museum was among the first museums used to enlighten society. The museum was considered beneficial to the public in the fact that it was used to expose the pieces of ancient...
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...means “high city” or “Takaoka on the city-state.” As a representative work of ancient Greek architecture, Acropolis of Athens has reached the highest level of sacred buildings, temples, orders and sculptures in ancient Greece. These ancient buildings can be rated as the heritage of mankind and architectural masterpiece, and hold an important position in architecture history. Acropolis, including four greatest ancient Greek art masterpieces—Parthenon Temple, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum and Temple of Athena Nike, is considered to be a symbol of the world’s traditional concepts. Due to the history, there are many Parthenon marbles which they removed from the temple and transported to England in the British museum. Many people require England to return sculptures while others do not want to. It is a controversy topic and different people have very different opinions. In my point of view, returning is necessary because cultural treasures from ancient civilizations belong in the places they come from. Also, the cultural importance of the marbles are very strong, not only do they possess the power to almost unlock the past of ancient Greece but as well they have the power to unite the local Citizens of Greece to their true heritage. The Acropolis is used to prevent foreign invasion of the fortress, surrounded by the walled hilltop, site of the ancient Acropolis hill in the south. In 5th century BC, during the period of democratic politics ruled by Athens slave owners, the Acropolis...
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...One of the major issues in the debate is the legality of the Elgin excavation in Greece. It has been stated, “the Elgin Marbles controversy centers on the question of whether or not Lord Elgin had permission to remove the marbles. Specifically, the analysis concerns whether to Ottomans had to right to give Lord Elgin permission to remove the marbles…” . On one side there are authors like John Merryman arguing that the Marbles rightfully belong in London; the other side is the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles, demanding their repatriation back to Greece. The people in support of the Repatriation pull emotional heartstrings, and Merryman admits that if this were a moral and emotional debate the Marbles would...
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...The Parthenon has transitioned through many different uses throughout its history, including a temple for the Greek goddess Athena, a church of the Virgin Mary, and a Mosque. Naturally, this results in it being an important site from Greek history. Thus, in 1801-1802, when Lord Elgin came to the acropolis when Greece was under Ottoman rule, he removed sculptures from the acropolis and took them back to England, where they were called the “Elgin marbles.” In the recent past, there has been some dispute between Greece and England about his justifications in taking the marbles, and whether or not they should be sent back to Greece. After analyzing the two arguments, I argue that the Elgin marbles should remain in the British museum. The first reason these marbles should remain in London is because Lord Elgin was not sporadically taking things from the acropolis, but he did so under the full knowledge and authorities of the Ottoman Empire, who were at this time in control of Greece. Some may argue that the Ottomans didn’t have the right to give away artifacts of Greek history, but if they were the ruling power, who is to say they didn’t? The rulers decide what actions to take,...
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...comparison of the Parthenon in Greece and the arch of Constantine in Rome. The Parthenon was created as an temple for the Greek Goddess Athena. The Parthenon would be considered a three dimensional work of art it can be measured by height, width and depth. The Parthenon was constructed of pentelic marble and stands at 111X237ft. The columns each have straight lines and each line is equally spaced. The color of the marble is slate gray. Carved marble steps are located around the building. the Top of Parthenon contained carved images that represented the struggles of man and the watchful eye of the Greek gods. The building aids in reinforcing the Greek belief that the gods could walk among them. This lavish temple was built Athens Greece for two reasons first Athena was the goddess of wisdom and second as the protector of Athens. The Arch of Constantine of s built to commemorate the assumption of power in the year 312 by Emperor Constantine the great and the defeat of Maxentius during the battle of Milvian Bridge. This is a three dimensional work of art. The building consisted of a triumphal Archway constructed out of tan colored marble. There are four columns that contain sculptures of a roman soldier on the top of each one. The arch had religious significance because it commemorates the bale that led to Constantine to convert to Christianity. The comparison between the two is that they are both exceptional pieces of Ancient architecture.The Parthenon and the arch were...
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...God’s House: Classical and Middle Ages Architecture Western Governors University God’s House: Classical and Middle Ages Architecture In this paper we will compare and contrast the temple/cathedral architecture from classic and Middle Ages art periods. The Classical art period covered a time frame of approximately 480 BC to 300 AD. We will focus on Greek Architecture during the Golden Era of Athens 460-429 BC (Sakoulas, n.d.). The Middle Ages began after the fall of the Roman Empire around 310 AD and lasted approximately 1000 years; therefore we shall concentrate on the architecture of the 10th and 11th centuries. In order to conduct period architecture comparisons we will select the elegant Parthenon to represent the Classical era and the Notre Dame Cathedral Paris to represent the Middle Ages. Let us examine what was going in Athens, Greece during the Golden Era. The Greek people of this period were cultured, religious, thinkers, and industrious in their expression. The democratic citizenry of Athens, in particular, were fond of literature, philosophy, theater, arts and above all their gods. Athens was a democracy lead by a senior politician named Pericles, workers were mostly freeman, slaves were few, craftsmen and wealth abounded (Durant, 1939, p. 110). The people of Athens worshiped all of the gods of Olympus, but none more than Athena the Goddess of Wisdom. Athena was the patron goddess and defender of Athens. Worship and prayers for protection were...
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...The Parthenon was created in the 5th BC and is an architectural and symbolic part of ancient Greece. In 1805 Lord Elgin transported half of the Parthenon sculptures from Athens to Britain after seeing the sculptures in ruins and in 1816 were acquired by the British museum. In 1999 Greece requested the return of the Parthenon statues for the first time. From then on the Greek and the British Governments have debated who gets to keep the sculptures. In my opinion the Parthenon sculptures should not be returned to Greece because; the sculptures were taken with full knowledge and acceptance from the Greek government, moving the marbles may cause more damage, the sculptures are easily accessible to the general public in Britain, the British Government has maintained the sculptures well since 1816, and without all the sculptures and the Athenian temple the original concept of balance through symmetry will never be as meaningful and understood....
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...The Parthenon Throughout my career in the United States Navy, I have been fortunate enough to be able to go to the Acropolis and observe the different structures. I was really intrigued with the design and condition of the Parthenon. The Parthenon is one of the largest and most important structure on the Acropolis. It was a temple built between 447 BC and 438 BC, for the virgin goddess, Athena Parthenos. The design illustrates the refinement of ancient Greek architecture, and uses the traditional cella and peristyle plan. During the high classical period, the standard was believed to be excellence. The Parthenon was built to set that standard of excellence. It was built with the finest white marble and was richly decorated inside to include a statue of Athena made of great gold and ivory. The design shows the style of art in classical period, with the Doric building with ionic features mixed in. The Parthenon has 8 columns along the front, and 17 along each side. That made it more than most Doric temples. The decoration of the Parthenon was organized into 3 elements. First was the pediment, then panels called metopes around the outer wall, and then the carved stone frieze that was on the outside of the inner building. Some of the architecture in the Parthenon is similar to that of surrounding buildings. The curvature of the stylobate platform, the plate that the column sits on, is designed the same way. The plate has an upward curvature to assist...
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...Argument of the Parthenon Sculptures The debate surrounding the ""Parthenon Marbles" has existed for quite some time now; the debate has created two opinions. There are those who believe Mr. Thomas Bruce, the seventh Earl of Elgin intentions where to rescues the sculptures from the certain destruction of the Turks who ruled Athens at the time. Then there are those who view his actions as disrespectful. It appears Elgin's intentions were dual in nature, him being a lover of art, seized the opportunity to help himself financially as well as an opportunity to gain a positive, (he had hoped), notoriety among his countrymen. The sculptures were first displayed in "London in 1807"(1). The two opinions took flight after a Scottish poet; by the name of Lord Byron condemned his efforts, which cause some to revisit the morality of it all. The Grecian government has persistently requested the sculptures be returned. The sculptures need to be returned to the Grecians. Firstly, as stated by, Jonathan Jones, "The sad truth is that in the British Museum, the Parthenon sculptures are not experienced at their best."(2) Although the sculptures offer insight to the Western world of its history, the Greek people have a moral right to have the symbols of their history on their soil for their people young and old to learn and to have a sense of national pride. Secondly, "It is believable that the Turkish authorities on sight were bribed. Owen Jarus stated, "Elgin never acquired the permission...
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...Romans preserved and imitated the ideals of the Greeks. Thus came the building of two great structures. The Greek Parthenon and the Roman Pantheon. With their similarities and their differences in both designs. Both the Parthenon and Pantheon were originally designed as temples. The Pantheon borrowed much of its exterior from the Greek temples one of them being the Parthenon. Both had eight columns to support the pediment. Both were used as religious worship to their Roman Gods and the Greek Goddess Athena. While both illustrate geometric precision, they are stylistically different. The Parthenon is a Doric style temple made from marble, with a limestone base. Consisting of one rectangular floor and its eight Doric columns in front and back. The Doric wasn’t only a column but a order. The Doric order with a series of triglphs and metopes on the entabutus of the upper levels. While the Pantheon was built using several materials such as marble, granite, concrete, and brick had two circular rooms with a hemispherical dome above, supported by massive granite Corinthian style columns. Thus the two most important great pertinent events during the classical era were the Romans and the Greeks, who were thought of as equals. Greeks represented culture and social status, and Roman citizenship represented political status. With this came the building of the Greek Parthenon and the Roman Pantheon. Which today are marvels in themselves....
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...Hellenism March 4, 2014 The Elgin Marbles: Fact or Feeling? “In a confrontation between Greece and Britain over the marbles, Greece is clearly the sentimental favorite.” – John Henry Merryman “The Elgin Marbles.” “The Parthenon Marbles.” “The Marbles.” Regardless of their description, these works of art are inarguably controversial. The debate surrounding the marbles is heated and far from reaching conclusion. Today, the controversy takes the shape of public protests, press releases from public figures, web-campaigns, and popular media coverage. Why is it that so many in the past have cared, and so many in the future likely will care, about the marbles? Perhaps they offer insight into the human condition, providing us with a global and cultural identity. Or maybe we simply enjoy the aesthetic appeal. Yet the reasoning behind a global interest in the marbles is not what lies at the heart of the controversy. The real issue is ownership. And allowing arguments based on national sentiment rather than legality and preservation to dictate the fate of the Elgin Marbles is irresponsible and, to some degree, disrespectful. Before a meaningful exploration of ownership can be pursued further, critical details regarding the actual acquisition of artifacts must be examined. First of all, Thomas Bruce (more commonly known as the Seventh Earl of Elgin, or Lord Elgin), and his crew brought back to Britain 247 feet of the 524 foot long Parthenon frieze. In addition to the frieze, Lord...
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...artwork that will be examined will be the Parthenon from the Classical Greece period, The Scraper from the Hellenistic Period, and the tombs from the Etruscan Civilization. The Parthenon is a great example of the Doric style of architecture from the Classical Greek period, as shown in Figure 1. The Parthenon was built by Perikles, the great Athenian leader. It was built on the highest point and was the largest building on the mainland. (Benton & DiYanni, 2008, pp. 66-121) The Parthenon was made of marble and was built in 447-432 BCE. Parthenon is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena. ("The Parthenon") An image of Athena made out of gold and ivory stands in the Parthenon. (Benton & DiYanni, 2008, pp. 66-121) The Greeks believed she helped them defeat the Persian Empire during the Persian Wars. The Parthenon is known to symbolize wealth and power of the Athenians. Tax money of the people was used to pay for the building. Ironically, the building was used as a state treasury, which held tax money that the Dalian League collected. The society was proud of its culture and political achievements. ("The Parthenon") The society also formed the first Democracy. The society saw themselves rising to the same level as the Gods. Perfection was very important to this culture. Their representation through the unparalleled precision, mathematical skills, the imposing dimensions, and their visual illusions created the design of the Parthenon. The people of the Classical...
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...Parthenon in Athens VS Pantheon in Rome The Parthenon and Pantheon are ancient temples found in Athenian Acropolis, Greece and Rome, Italy. While the Parthenon was built between 447-438 BC for the goddess Athena, Pantheon was built in 126 AD to celebrate Roman gods. The Parthenon was built by Iktinos and Kalikrates while Pantheon was built by Publius Aelius Hadrianus. Today, the Pantheon serves as a Roman catholic church while the Parthenon serves as a museum (Langmead, and Christine, 240). This paper identifies similarities and differences between the two structures in terms of design, style, history, and usage. Perhaps, one of the most remarkable and prominent works of architecture; the Parthenon was built under the rule of Pericles as a temple for the goddess Athena of the city of Athens. Today, the temple, which serves as a temple, stands astoundingly intact. This emanates from the fact that its Doric columns that were built in Greek style were formidable. Conversely, the construction of the Pantheon happened much later after the Parthenon for the Roman gods (MacDonald and Lloyd, 158). It contained several architectural designs of the Pantheon. The most conspicuous difference between the two structures lies in their architectural designs. The Pantheon has an immense 4,535 metric tons of concrete rotunda designed in a circular model with a porch held brickwork Corinthian columns. The structure is made from several materials that include concrete, brick, marble, and granite...
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